For the love of all things classic, I bring you Alia + Whitt’s elegant spring wedding at The Hermitage Hotel! Their mix of cultures made for quite the unique day mixing in Pakistani and American traditions. Erin Lee Allender photographed all the details of their day with beautiful white and (barely) pink roses, family photos, and one of the most beautiful veils I’ve ever seen! Family was the focal point and the celebration was so special from beginning to end. See it all below!
Alia + Whitt
Hermitage Hotel
5.12.18
How did you meet?
Alia: Whitt and I met when he was in town for the NHL All-star game in Nashville. We ended up keeping in touch for 10 more months while he was living in a Pennsylvania. We decided to take a trip together to Chicago, and the rest is history. Six months later we were engaged.
Tell us your proposal story!
Alia: Whitt proposed to me in the very first place that he told me he loved me. It was a total shock and I couldn’t have been more elated. He was so sweet and thoughtful with his words. We had celebrated my birthday with my family and friends the day prior, and on the day of the proposal were able to share the news with family still in town.
Tell us about your wedding vision.
Alia: Whitt and I wanted a more traditional style wedding that incorporated our love for each other, our family, friends, and showed both of our families’ cultures. I wanted a more traditional palette of whites and champagnes to help compliment the beauty of The Hermitage Hotel. We were married by my uncle Steve which was really special, and had family and friends from all over the country attend. We are really grateful for the memories we made that day.
What was most important to the two of you while planning your wedding?
Alia: The most important thing for us was our ceremony. It was also important for us to maximize our time with our guests! We decided to skip on doing our exit because we wanted to be able to hug each of our guests good bye and to thank them before the night was over. I’m so glad we did because we really got to spend some memorable moments with our families at the end of the night. We also wanted to make sure that we honored both of our families cultures.
What were your favorite parts of the day?
Alia: It’s so had to pick a favorite. I loved our first look and giving Whitt a hug for the first time. Our ceremony was probably to most special part, my Uncle Steve married us, and that was also something that meant a lot to me. It’s just so amazing to be able to be surrounded by everyone that you love and to have the people who have been such an important part of your life so close to you during such a big moment l. I think we were lucky because our ceremony space allowed for our ceremony to feel small, especially by the alter and we were able to feel like our wedding party and family was right up there with us. I loved the toast from my dad and dancing with our families.
Describe any personalized details from your day.
Alia: For our table numbers I made the stands, we also used a history book from the hotel as our guest book. Our programs were really special to us, and we were able to put a surprise messaged to our parents and loved ones on it. Whitt’s grooms cake was also a fun surprise! We had options for food that included traditional American and also traditional Pakistani main dishes and deserts. i wanted to have pictures of our parents and grandparents on our wedding day. It was so nice to see them in the pictures Erin Lee Allender Photography took during the cocktail hour. I also had jewelry that my grandmother wore and a tennis bracket that was a gift from my parents for our wedding day.
Do you have any advice for couples getting married?
Alia: Try to take a moment to slow down and enjoy it! The whole process goes so quickly! Also, don’t be afraid to ask for help! I found that I was really lucky and my family and bridal party helped me in so many ways.
Thanks so much to Erin and Alia + Whitt for sharing this beautiful elegant spring wedding at The Hermitage Hotel with us! You can check out more on Erin Lee Allender Photography and also The Hermitage Hotel on their sites. And be sure to give The Hermitage Hotel a follow on Instagram!
Sources
The Hermitage Hotel/Erin Lee Allender/Enchanted Florist/Hyde Salon/Music City Sound/Full Frame Cinema/Blush + Honey/Rita Vinieris/Generation Tux/Kate Spade/Bella Bridesmaids/Romona Keveza